CAPE SERVES AS DROP OFF POINT FOR RECYCLING

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- VIP Industries may be out of the recycling business, but that hasn't deterred the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from conducting a "Paper to Trees" recycling project here.

The month-long20project began Wednesday in seven cities, including Cape Girardeau.

Under the program, newsprint will be recycled into home insulation, which in turn will conserve energy.

Households and organizations may bring three-foot high stacks of newspapers to a collection trailer at the Cape Girardeau Department of Public Works headquarters, 219 N. Kingshighway.

The newsprint will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays this month and during the same hours on two Saturdays, Jan. 12 and 26, said Cindy Carroll, of the DNR's Division of Energy.

In return for the newsprint, individuals and organizations will receive coupons redeemable in April for 4- to 6-foot, native Missouri trees.

Originally, plans called for the VIP Recycling Center to serve as the collection point for the project. But when VIP decided to drop its recycling operations, the collection point was moved to the city's public works headquarters, Carroll said.

Unfortunately, she said, the word apparently didn't get out to the general public as no one showed up at the Public Works office with bundles of newsprint for the program Wednesday.

In contrast, there was a good response to the program in other participating cities. Besides Cape Girardeau, participating cities are Chillicothe, Columbia, Kansas City, Kirksville, St. Louis and Springfield.

Carroll said the program is limited to Missouri residents and groups, with a limit of two redeemable coupons per household or organization.

One tree coupon will be issued for each 3-foot stack of newsprint. Each individual household or organization may turn in a six-foot stack at maximum.

A special trailer has been set up at the Public Works site for the newsprint. The League of Women Voters is assisting with the project.

The newspapers should be dry and bundled with twine or string, and should not contain slick newspaper supplements, Carroll said.

About 1,500 trees will be handed out to participants with redeemable coupons on a first-come, first-serve basis. The trees will be distributed April 5, 6 and 7 at Arena Park.